Students working towards NCEA can gain additional credits, based on the number of credits they achieve during the 2020 school year...

Students and schools have experienced real disruption to teaching, learning and assessment because of Covid-19, with some affected much more than others.

In response to this unprecedented situation NZQA and the Ministry of Education has developed a set of changes to NCEA 2020 to address these impacts.

These changes are underpinned by the following principles:

• Students have a fair and equitable opportunity to achieve the qualification and awards they would have been able to achieve in any other year;

• Students are engaged and progressing in their assessed learning;

• Changes are consistent with the integrity and credibility of the qualification; and

• Changes impose minimal workload on schools.

There are 3 main changes: 

Learning Recognition (LR) credits

Students working towards NCEA can gain additional credits, based on the

number of credits they achieve during the 2020 school year. These additional

credits will be known as Learning Recognition credits. For every 5 credits a

student achieves towards their NCEA, either through internal or external

assessment, they are entitled to an additional 1 credit. Students at NCEA

Level 1 are eligible for up to a maximum of 10 additional credits while those at

Levels 2 and 3 are eligible for up to a maximum of 8 additional credits.

University Entrance

Current UE requirements have been reduced from 14 to 12 credits in three

UE-approved subjects. Students still need to attain NCEA Level 3 and meet

literacy and numeracy requirements to be awarded University Entrance.

External NCEA examinations and NZ Scholarship examinations will now take

place from 16 November 2020 to 6 December 2020. This will provide extra

time for teaching, learning and assessment in Term 4.

Certificate and Course Endorsements

Students will be awarded a certificate endorsement if they achieve 46 credits

at Merit or Excellence level, rather than the usual 50. Students achieving 12

credits at Merit or Excellence level in a course – rather than 14 – will be

awarded a course endorsement.

The submission date for subjects which require students to submit a portfolio

(for example, Design and Visual Communications) has been extended to 12

November 2020, to give students more time to complete their portfolios.

These changes have been designed to encourage students to continue working

towards their NCEA and to ensure that the NCEA attained by our students this

school year is just as valid as those earned in previous years.

If you have any subject specific questions, please contact the Leader of Learning or your child’s hub mentor.